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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27759271">Hot Spring Ghosts</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/zombie_honeymoon/pseuds/zombie_honeymoon'>zombie_honeymoon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drunkenness, Ficlet, Gen, Hot Springs, Light Angst, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:47:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>530</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27759271</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/zombie_honeymoon/pseuds/zombie_honeymoon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hidan and Kakuzu relax in a hot spring, Hidan relaxes a little too much and gives up some of his past he otherwise would never have told.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hidan &amp; Kakuzu (Naruto), Hidan/Kakuzu (Naruto)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>52</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Hot Spring Ghosts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Wrote during a timed server challenge. I've wanted to come up with some backstory for Hidan and headcanons for his village for my rp blog but also just because I want to expand his character a bit more. Personally I don't see him being remorseful about any of his kills, especially no one he's sacrificed, but I think as a child, forced to kill someone he grew up with and considered his best friend, would be one he regrets. </p><p>Can be read as gen or ship, it's up to you.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The drink was certainly getting to him, along with the heat. Loosening not just his tense muscles but his memories and with it, his tongue. </p><p>Shadows cast from the full moon made it look like hands reaching for him from under the water and he forces his eyes away. Only then they land on his partner across from him. A better view at least.</p><p>“I killed my best friend in a hot spring. Held him under, watched him drown in boiling water as I held him under,” Hidan hears himself as if he’s not the one speaking, “we were just kids. The elders… they were hoping for a different-- hoping he’d’ve killed me instead.” </p><p>Kakuzu doesn’t respond, just stares back at him, maybe waiting for him to continue or wishing he’d just shut up, Hidan can’t decide which but now that he’s started, he can’t seem to stop.</p><p>“My hands were badly burned. He stabbed me, here,” his hand goes to his side but there’s no scar there nor on his hands. Not anymore. “I almost bled to death by the time I got back to the village.” </p><p>Kakuzu finally asks after several minutes of silence, “Chunin exam? Or was your village trying to get rid of you so early on?”</p><p>“Chunin exam. Maybe both. They paired us up on purpose, knowing he was the only one who could have taken me out. Those fuckers hated that they had to advance me.” </p><p>Hidan goes quiet again and after a while, Kakuzu stands and steps out of the water and then he’s gone, back to their camp for the night, leaving Hidan alone with his memories. He swears something brushes his ankle, something that feels like fingers trying to grasp onto him and pull him under and he’s tripping over himself to get out. </p><p>Back at camp, Kakuzu is already dressed and relaxing with a worn out book he’s had to have read at least a hundred times already, and he looks up as Hidan appears but says nothing. Neither speak. It’s only as Hidan is trying to fall asleep that he admits it, feels like he has to tell someone, “He’s the only one I regret killing. And when I have nightmares, his is the face I see.”</p><p>“He’d have done the same to you,” Kakuzu says, voice low and rumbly, and not unkind, as he carefully closes his book and leans back, “go to sleep.” </p><p>Whether it’s an attempt to comfort Hidan or not, he doesn’t know, but for some reason it helps and Hidan finally lets his eyes close, knowing he’ll dream of that day but Kakuzu is right. Hidan would be the one dead at the bottom of that spring instead, nearly was. </p><p>By morning, Hidan’s left with a headache and can still feel those fingers on his ankle and shudders only for Kakuzu to ask if he’s going to be sick.</p><p>“No! Why? Wanna hold my hair back for me or something?” He scoffs and adds, “You wish.” Hidan turns away to prepare to leave, hangover or not. He wants nothing more than to put as much distance between that hot spring and himself as possible. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comments and kudos are appreciated, thanks for reading.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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